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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Ports & Port Calls

Port

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/pɔːrt/nounCore term

In maritime & shipping, port means: A town or place on the coast with facilities where ships load and discharge cargo, take on passengers and receive services such as fuel, water and repairs.

In Turkish: liman

How it is used

Used in many fixed expressions: port of call, port of loading, port of discharge, port authority and port dues. Ships 'call at' a port, 'enter' and 'leave' port, and 'stay in port'.

Example sentences

  1. Our next port of call is Piraeus, and then we sail for Genoa.

  2. The vessel stayed in port for three days because of a strike.

Common collocations

  • port of call
  • port of loading
  • port of discharge
  • port authority
  • port dues
  • berthA place in a port where a ship ties up to load or discharge. As a verb, to berth means to bring a ship to that place. The word can also mean a bed on a ship.
  • harbour masterThe official responsible for the safety, order and traffic of a port, including berthing rules, anchorages and permission for ships to enter and leave.
  • port state controlThe inspection of foreign ships in a country's ports to check that they meet international rules on safety, pollution prevention, crew certificates and working conditions.
  • ship's agentA person or company in a port that looks after a ship's business on behalf of the owner or charterer, arranging berths, pilots, customs, crew changes and supplies.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Ports & Port Calls

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